chancellor and regents of the University, to the chair of Profeffor of Divinity. His elevation to this office enabled him to inculcate, with authority, the effential truths of Christianity, as well as to expose the most pernicious errors. He knew that it would be dangerous to the cause of Reformation, in which he had fincerely, but prudently engaged, to make a direct attack at first upon fuch cuftoms and principles as had long had the fanction of the highest authorities. He therefore, for a time, fays an ingenious biogra pher, "thought it fufficient to lead his adverfaries into logical and metaphyfical difputations, accuftoming them to hear novelties and to bear contradictions. Nothing paffed in the schools but learned arguments on the increase of time, on space, fubftance, and identity. In these difputations he intermixed, and pushed as far as he durst, new opinions in divinity; founding the minds of his hearers. At length, finding he had a party in the fchools, and that he was liftened to with attention, he ventured to be more explicit, and by degrees opened himself at large." In the pulpit, as in the fchools, he was equally admired. In his fermons, inftead of amufing the learned with fcholaftic fubtilties, and the illiterate with panegyrics on faints, and accounts of falfe miracles, he diligently enforced the doctrines and duties of Christianity. His ftyle was energetic and perfpicuous. The corruptions of the church, the profligacy of the clergy, and the ufurpations of the Pope, he defcanted occa fionally upon, with great vehemence, but at the fame time, with fuch clearness and ftrength of argument as rarely failed to convince his auditors. His unimpeachable integrity and holiness of life, added to his learning and eloquence, through the divine bleffing, procured him numerous followers in all ranks of life.

Such was the estimation in which he was held at court, that in 1374, he was fent, in conjunction with the Bishop of Bangor and others, upon an embaffy to the Pope, to treat concerning the liberties of the Church of England. During his refidence abroad, the intercourse which he had with the delegated authorities of the popedom, afforded him ample means of unravelling the intricacies, and detecting the corrupt views of its policy. Convinced fully, by what he heard, read, and faw, that the Church of Rome had become intolerably corrupt, both in doctrine and morals; he reproved, in the fevereft terms, the profligate lives of the clergy of all descriptions, and attacked, with the utmost freedom of speech, the unfcriptural dogmas which they inculcated. The Pope, informed of the proceedings of this primitive reformer, iffued feveral mandates, all bearing date, June 11, 1977, to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London, ordering John Wickliff to be apprehended, and to be kept in fure cuftody until they received further commands from Rome. He wrote alfo to King Edward himself, requesting his co-operation with the bishops, in

the

the extirpation of Wickliff's herefies, and intreating his endeavours to bring the heretic to condign punishment. But Edward, feeling the infirmities of declining life, and willing to withdraw himself from the cares of royalty, had refigned the administration of affairs into the hands of his fon, the Duke of Lancaster. This nobleman fhielded Wickliff against the papal mandates to the bishops; for, as yet, there was no law in existence which could authorize a bishop to imprison any one for herefy, without the king's confent. The fovereign Pontiff, jealous of his authority, despatched a nuncio to the Univerfity of Oxford, accufing them of luke-warmnefs in the cause of the church, and commanding them, under the feverest penalties, to deliver up their Divinity Profeffor to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London. Whether they received his nuncio is doubtful; but if they did, they totally difregarded the injunctions of which he was the bearer. The Bishop of London, who was a complete zealot in the pontifical caufe, perfuaded Archbishop Sudbury to join him, in citing Wickliff to appear before them at St. Paul's, London, within thirty days. Upon the day appointed, he appeared at St. Paul's, accompanied by the Duke of Lancafter, and Lord Percy, Earl Marshal of England. When the Bishop of London faw Wickliff enter the court fupported by perfonages of fo elevated rank and authority, he was fo hurried away by the impetuofity of angry paffion, that he addreffed Lord Percy in terms, both haughty and infulting. This unbecoming conduct of the prelate, provoked the high spirit of Lancafter; a fierce difpute enfued, in which, to do the Bishop juftice, he did not ufe fuch abufive language as Lancafter. The tumultuous conduct of the populace obliged the court to break up, without proceeding to the examination of Wickliff. This undaunted Reformer was fummoned, fome time after, to appear before the bishops at Lambeth. He obeyed the citation; and when they began to examine him, refpecting his fentiments, he gave in to his Judges a written explanation of the articles which had been objected to him, as heretical. It being apprehended that the prelates would treat him harshly, Sir Lewis Clifford entered the affembly, and in an authoritative tone commanded their lordships to defift from proceeding to any decifion. This abfolute order of Clifford's, together with the menaces of the people, who were heard exclaiming without, that they would not fee Wickliff ill-treated, fo appalled the bishops, that they immediately dismissed the Reformer, with an admonition not to repeat any more, either in the schools or the pulpit, his obnoxious doctrines.

Gregory XI. died early in the year 1378; and Bartholomew de Pregnano, Archbishop of Barri, fucceeded to the papal chair, and affumed the name of Urban VI. The feverity and arrogance with which he conducted himself, caused him to lose the affection of

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many

many of his fubjects, and even provoked a large number of the college of Cardinals to elect to the Pontificate, Robert, Count of Geneva; who, upon his election, ftyled himself Clement VII. The indecent violence of these two ecclefiaftical rivals, who mutually pronounced upon each other the dreadful fentence of excommunication, gave popery a dreadful blow; and caufed the more ferious and thinking part of the people to entertain little reverence for that authority, which thefe contending vicars of Chrift equally claimed and equally abufed. The fierce contests of these pontifical antagonists, induced Wickliff to publifh two tracts, one upon "the fchifm of the Roman Pontiffs," and the other upon "the Truth of Scripture."

His next oppofition to the progress of error was, publishing the Bible in the vernacular tongue. To prepare the world for this production, he afferted and proved, by the strongest arguments, both in his writings and fermons, that the people had a right to read the Scriptures in a language with which they were acquainted. Nor did he reft fatisfied with barely doing this, but reprobated, with much severity, the anti-christian policy, which kept the Holy Scriptures from mankind in general. Having ufed every method $ which his bold and prolific genius fuggefted, and that his extraordinary induftry could accomplish, for creating an earnest defire in the people to confult the facred records, he published, in the year 1380, his Tranflation of the Old and New Teftament. "The appearance of the Scriptures in an English drefs, exafperated and alarmed the favourers of the polity of the Roman Catholic Church. In confequence of this production, the Reformer was affailed by the prelacy, with angry menaces, and by the inferior clergy with the most plentiful abuse; but as he had a spirit too high to be difmayed by the one, and an object too grand, to be affected by the other, he steadily purfued his purpofe with unwearied activity, and made, without delay, a new affault upon their fuperftition: it was directed against tranfubftantiation, the moít revered doctrine of a Romanift." It is recorded that Pafchaife, a French monk, who lived in the ninth century was the first who maintained this abfurd dogma. The grofs ignorance of the times favoured its progrefs. About the middle of the eleventh century it was introduced into England, by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. A tenet, calculated to create an unbounded reverence for the priesthood, by exaiting the people's notions of the fpiritual power of the clergy, was encouraged by the Romish hierarchy; and fo generally was it received in the thirteenth century, that it was ac knowledged and confirmed by the third Lateran council. It was in the year 1381, that Wickliff firft difclofed his opinions upon the doctrine of the real prefence, in his lectures at Oxford. He then published his fentiments upon that doctrine, under the title

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of "Sixteen Conclufions," and offered to defend them publickly a the schools. This propofal, Dr. William de Berton, then Chanellor of the University, oppofed; for, knowing Wickliff's skill n difputation, he feared that the Profeffor's triumph over his oponents would increafe and ftrengthen his party, and give his octrines a more extenfive circulation. Thus difappointed, the Reformer appealed, not to the Pope, whofe authority in fuch matters he denied, but to the king in parliament. This auguft flembly rejected his petition; and even the Duke of Lancaster dvised him to fubmit, in spiritual matters, to his ecclefiaftical fueriors. Thus discountenanced by the ftate, he was fummoned efore an Ecclefiaftical court in Oxford, compofed of feveral Bifhops, the Chancellor of the University, and a great number of Doctors. To this affembly he read, in Latin, what fome conidered an extorted confeffion of his errors, but what was in reality n explanation and defence of his fentiments. The majority of he court appearing fatisfied with his explanation, he was difmiffed

vithout cenfure.

Courtney, Bishop of London, a man of an afpiring mind and erfecuting difpofition, was, about this time, exalted to the See f Canterbury. His first act against Wickliff, was to call a court ompofed of the fuperior clergy, and fome civilians, in order to xamine the herefies of Wickliff and his followers. Before this onvocation, which was held in London, May 1882, the undaunted Reformer was cited to appear; but, concluding that his official ituation in the Univerfity exempted him from epifcopal jurifdiction, he refufed to comply. His non-appearance, however, did not prevent the court from condemning fome of his opinions as heretical, and cenfuring others of them as erroneous. The doctrines objected to, together with the fentence of the court upon them, being published by authority in the Univerity, Wickliff vindicated himself, and expofed the mean arts which his enemies had practifed in mifreprefenting his fentiments, and charging him with opinions, which none but a madman could be capable of avowing, viz." that God ought to obey the devil," and fuch like abfurdities. The Primate, on finding his fentence defpifed, turned his thoughts to more compulfory meafures. With this view, he brought a bill into parliament, whereby it was enacted, "that the king's commiffions be made and directed to fheriffs, &c. according to the certificates of the prelates, to be made in the chancery from time to time, to arreft all fuch preachers as publish fermons containing herefies and notorious errors, and to hold them in arrest and ftrong prifon, till they fhall justify them according to the law and reafon of the Holy Church." As foon as this tyrannical bill had paffed the Lords, the Archbishop, without waiting the affent of the Commons, proceeded to put it in force. On the Commons petitioning

petitioning the King against the bill, the primate, fruitful in expe dients, applied to Richard II. with fuccefs, " for his royal letters patent addreffed to the chancellor and scholars of Oxford, commanding them, within feven days receipt of these letters, to banish Wickliff and others from the University, and to feize all writing which favoured their doctrines." The Chancellor, upon receiving the letters patent, trove to excufe himself from obeying the King commands; but the Primate peremptorily infifted on the King inftructions being obeyed. The refult was, that Wickliff was obliged to quit for ever the University of Oxford.

The contest between the rival Popes ftill fubfifting, Urban V having long in vain poured forth the most dreadful anathemas; refolved by force of arms to bring the conteft to an iffue. In England, where Urban was acknowledged as the lawful fuccefia of St. Peter, contributions were folicited, and to those wh afforded affiftance to the haughty Pontiff, either by money or per fonal aid, the most plenary indulgences and pardons, were lavith diftributed. Wickliff, animated by a holy indignation, upon fee ing religion, which inculcates forbearance and peace, fcandalouf abufed by two pretended vicars of Chrift, each of whom laid th ftrongeft claims to infallibility; refumed his pen, and thus cenfure the contending Popes, upon the subject of the war in which the were engaged. "The feal or banner of Chrift on the cross, th is token of peace, mercy, and charity, for to flee all Chriften me for love of twaie falfe priefts, that ben open Antichrift, for: meyntene their worldly ftate, to opprefs Christendom worfe tha Jews weren against Holy writ, and life of Chrift and his apoftles. Accordingly he asks, "why wole not the proud prieft of Rom grant full pardon to all men for to live in peace, and charity, an patience, as he doth to all men to fight and flee Chriften men.

The Pope, exafperated by fuch fevere reproof, fummoned t author of it to appear before the apoftolical tribunal at Rome. anfwer, Wickliff pleaded the ftate of his health, having lately h a ftroke of palfy, as his excufe for not undertaking fo long an perilous a journey. This excufe Urban accepted, which probab he would not have done, had he not confidered his opponent rath an object of contempt than terror; for his enfeebled frame a fhattered conftitution, at this time, afforded evident proofs that t days of his pilgrimage were almoft ended. On Dec. 28, Iss whilft he was attending divine fervice, in his church, at Lutte worth, he had another attack of palfy, which on the third d after terminated in his death. His body was buried in the chanc of his church, where it remained undisturbed, till his enemi actuated by the moft contemptible malice, violated the fanctua of death. This indecent act was occafioned by a decree of council of Conftance, in 1415, when, after forty-five articles

the